Butterfly
by Anae-chan
Summary: Everyone was young once. Even shikigamis. Even cute furball Byakko, who wanted an adventure.


_Title:_ _Butterfly_

_To: 17-year-old Johanna_

_Author: Anae_

_Beta: ninnu_

_Fandom: Yami no Matsuei / Descendants of Darkness, manga verse_

_Rating: K / PG_

_Summary: Everyone was young once. Even the shikigamis. Even cute furball Byakko who wanted an adventure._

The Imaginary World had enjoyed peace for several hundreds of years. The latest war, second in the world's history, had been tough, but once it had ended peace had landed over the place unreachable for humans. Now every shikigami could to be happy and there wasn't much work for the Four Guardians who each protected their own area of the Imaginary World: North, South, West and East. They could even raise children now if they wanted to.

The Guardian of the West had a little son named Byakko. In his battle form, Byakko was a white tiger like his father and when he'd grow up he would inherit his father's state. Now, however, he was just a child who caused his nanny a lot of work, worry and grey hairs.

Byakko had managed to get away from his nanny. The white tiger didn't like her very much and preferred the older nanny who wasn't on duty right now. Maybe it was because this younger nanny's element was earth, the exact opposite of Byakko's air. Or maybe it was just because the older nanny was also a lot funnier, she didn't always talk about boys like Nanami did.

Anyhow, for the first time Byakko was outside of his home palace by himself. He was now in his human form, trying to change to battle form. Byakko was a very cute child with his huge, red eyes and already white, fast growing hair which would soon have to be tied on a ponytail. Now, however, it was free for the wind to play with. The child wore a white kimono, despite the fact it would get dirty and no matter how much that made his nanny hate the colour. His mother loved it. Then, for the child's big surprise, he managed to change into battle form! Now the appearance of a little child changed into a cuddly, white tiger with black stripes. Byakko was excited and he started to run and play nearby an old, nearly abandoned village. This was only the second time he had done this! In the first time he hadn't been able to play because of that stupid Nanami-nanny, but now he was free to do whatever he wanted to! For him, there seemed to be nothing but he and the sun and the grass and the blooming cherry trees in the world at the moment.

After playing for a while, Byakko spotted a butterfly. It was blue and black and white, and it was so beautiful! He wanted to play with it! So the white tiger started to chase the beautiful butterfly which flew further away. Byakko ran after it and watched it's fluent, elegant flight so intently that he forgot to watch where he was running. Suddenly he run straight to a wall and hit his head. The white tiger fell backwards to his back and started to cry. Stupid wall, it hurt!

But the cry ended as soon as it had started. That beautiful butterfly landed on the child's tiny, red nose. Byakko couldn't help but watch the butterfly's slowly moving wings. Those little movements were so very fascinating… A smile spread across his face at the same time as he tilted his head a bit. It was as if there hadn't been any crying at all.

Byakko felt his nose itch. That's why he had to lift his paw and scratch it. The butterfly rose up to fly again. But it didn't leave, it just stayed in the air in front of the child's head. Byakko had to try to touch it with his paws but the butterfly was faster than him and started to fly away.

The white tiger rolled onto his stomach and rose up. He didn't want the butterfly to leave just yet! So he followed it. But that beautiful blue and black and white butterfly was so fast that he had to run in order to keep up with it.

The child didn't know how far he ran but he was starting to get tired. After all he hadn't taken his afternoon nap yet and this hill was high…

Then, suddenly, the ground under his feet just disappeared. Byakko started to fall, and when he looked down he saw a big lake. The white tiger let out a cry. He didn't know how to fly yet and he didn't like water. Besides, he didn't even know how to swim!

It hurt when he hit the water. But in the water, Byakko looked around him as he was sinking. The water up above seemed beautiful but down it was dark. And when it was dark, it was scary. The child started to cry and when he opened his mouth water flowed in. It felt horrible and he started panicking. He wanted his mommy!

The child's salvation was a young boy. The boy and his friend had seen Byakko running straight off from the cliff and falling into the water. They had guessed that the son of the Guardian of the West couldn't swim so the older of those two had dived and saved the kid.

They both rose from the water, a small, scared white tiger in the arms of older boy. They both were very, very wet.

"Is he okay?"

The older of the two boys nodded. "Looks like it." Byakko coughed water from his lungs and started crying. He wanted his mom!

The younger of two older boys, who was wearing black trousers and a sleeveless shirt of the same colour, covered his ears. "Do something, Soryuu!" he nearly yelled. He had long black hair and red dragon-like eyes though his battle form was a black serpentine with red wings.

The older boy, who was wearing a simple kimono turned to his friend as wind played with his long blue hair. Soryuu's blue eyes held fear when he stared at the wet, crying child in his arms. "I don't have any sisters or brothers, I have no idea what to do!" he yelled.

"Neither have I!" the other yelled back.

Those two boys were quite fun to watch. Neither of them had any idea what to do. Their friendship amazed their parents: those two were nearly perfect opposites. Soryuu was a dragon, Touda was a serpentine. Soryuu was water, Touda was fire. Soryuu was from a respected family tree and when he'd grow up, he would became the Guardian of the East, whereas Touda was only from a bit richer family. However, the families of both boys wanted their sons to be taught well since they both were going to be very powerful shikigamis. It was already seen in them.

Byakko was getting confused from all the yelling and cried even louder. He wanted to go home! He wanted his mom, not some stranger! That's why he sank his teeth into Soryuu's palm. The other shikigami yelped in surprise and accidentally dropped the child, causing him to cry even louder.

"What did you do?"

"He bit me!"

Touda sighed and looked down to the wet tiger. Then he lifted his head and looked Soryuu straight into his eyes. "What are we going to do?"

The other boy shook his head. "I have no idea."

Both boys felt helpless as they watched the tiger who just kept on crying with his heartbreaking voice. How would they manage to make him stop from crying? Slowly the younger one of the two moved closer to the child, kneeled down and carefully started to sooth the white tiger. He was surprised when Byakko stopped crying, looked up to him for a second and actually purred. Well, Byakko was a tiger, a cat, after all…

Still soothing the child he looked up to his friend, seeing Soryuu hugging himself tightly. "Are you cold?"

"Yeah", came a quiet response. Even though the sun was out on the sky, the wind was quite cold.

"There you are!"

Touda rose up and both boys turned just in time to see a young woman walking towards them. The woman had a green-red kimono, she was tall and pretty. Her eyes were green too, and her hair was brown. The boys had seen her many times before and didn't like her. The feeling was mutual, she didn't like them either. She thought of them as children and they thought of her as old, though neither of the thoughts was quite true.

Byakko had just risen to his feet and started to shake water from his wet fur as Nanami lifted him up from the back of the tiger's neck. The child winced as she lifted him, and the moment he was in front of her eyes, he looked like a fur ball. Byakko looked exactly like a white, black striped furry ball since the only things what were seen in the middle of the electrical fur were a pair of red eyes and a nose of same colour.

As much as Nanami wanted to throw something, she was the one who would have to brush the fur, the boys thought that the situation was funny. Soryuu quickly put hands in front in his mouth and bit his lip in order to not laugh but Touda just laughed freely. After all, Byakko looked quite funny.

Nanami scowled at the boys. "Shut up", she told them but they didn't stop. Damn, she hated kids. But she had to get her living from somewhere… Okay, the little kids were fine, but boys who were nearly, if not already teenagers were unbelievable. She took Byakko securely in her arms and while starting to sooth him she said to the boys: "Shouldn't you two be on your lessons? I'm sure Rikugo misses you already."

Both Soryuu and Touda stopped. The blue and red eyes met, then looked up to the woman's green ones. "Don't tell him? Please?"

She sighed. Stupid kids, indeed. They both had ran away to escape boring lessons and now they thought they would get away with it. Get away from young Rikugo's lessons without punishments? Yeah, right. "I bet he already knows, and your parents won't be pleased. Just go."

The boys looked at each other again, sighed and changed their forms. A blue dragon and a black snake with red wings appeared. Those forms were big compared to the age of those two, so it was no wonder they'd become powerful. Then they disappeared to the light blue sky.

Nanami sighed and looked at the child in her arms. Byakko had already fallen in deep sleep, and his form had changed from a cute white tiger into a child with a white, dirty kimono. He mumbled something in his sleep and cuddled nearer his nanny. The woman couldn't help but smile and grace the child's white hair behind his ear. Byakko sure was a cute child.

The woman turned and started to walk towards the palace of the Guardian of the West. It was nearly evening already and the golden sun warmed nicely as the chilly wind blew gently, playing with the nanny's hair. Byakko had had a memorable day filled with adventure, and one could be sure there was a lot more adventures for him to come. But right now his adventure continued only behind his closed, huge, red eyes, in his peaceful sleep.


End file.
